Perhaps you’ve already enjoyed angling for salmon with the Thunder 1 Adventures team. What if you do something a bit different on your next fishing trip and charter a Thunder 1 halibut fishing tour.
Halibut is a “flatfish,” that lives in both the North Pacific and the North Atlantic oceans. It is a member of the flounder family, and in the Pacific Northwest, it also is the herald of spring.
Juvenile halibut live in the shallow coastal waters, whereas adult halibut migrate from summer’s shallow feeding grounds to winter’s deep spawning grounds. Unlike salmon, halibut remain saltwater fish year round.
Halibut has long been a popular seafood, but that popularity has been costly; halibut has been hunted to near-extinction on both coasts although cooperatively managed halibut fisheries have mitigated halibut’s endangered status in the Pacific.
Fishing for halibut in the salt waters of Prince Rupert can be tiring work. Although the average halibut weighs between 15 – 25 pounds, some have been considerably heftier like the 515-pound halibut that weighed in at 515 pounds. Imagine spending a day working to land such a behemoth of a fish!
Halibut are deep water denizens with a shape and camouflaging ability that effectively disguises them from most sea predators. They are dark brown on the top side of their flat bodies and off-white in colour on the underside. Their camouflaging makes it possible for them to go relatively unnoticed by other sea “travelers” and predators either from above or underneath – a system called “countershading.” Halibut live in ocean depths ranging from a few metres to hundreds of meters; they spend the majority of their time near the ocean bottom.
Fishing for halibut is well-suited to a group effort as more bait in the water draws more fish. Your Prince Rupert fishing charter guides are experienced at the various halibut fishing techniques but the most important technique or skill a fisherman can have when fishing for halibut is to be patient once the halibut strikes. The Pacific halibut is not considered the smartest fish in the ocean but it is big and tough and will be challenging to land without help (and sometimes, even with help).
The Thunder 1 guides will provide all the gear you need to successfully fish for Pacific halibut. They will help you land and weigh your halibut, and will dress, bag, and cool store your catch. Then, it’s time to relax in Thunder 1’s comfort-appointed cabin or on deck.